Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 15, 1904.djvu/42

 28 The Story of Dcirdre^ in its bearing on the

marked with scoffing and disgrace, if you do not take me with you.

" ' Away from me, O woman ! '

" ' I shall be thine,' she said.

" Then Naisi began to sing. At the sound of his melodious voice the Ultonians arose and turned their arms against each other.

" The sons of Usnach departed from their dwelling to find out what had become of their brother.

" ' What are you about ? ' said they ; ' is it not through your fault that the Ultonians are slaughtering each other ? '

'■' Then Naisi told them all that had happened to him.

" ' Nought but evil can come of it,' said the warriors ; ' nevertheless, whatever may result, so long as we live we will not allow you to suffer an affront. We will take her with us to another province. There is not a king in Ireland who will not bid us welcome.'

" So they resolved. They departed before nightfall with Deirdre, three times fifty warriors, three times fifty women, and three times fifty dogs and attendants."

In one of the versions preserved for us by O'Flanagan in the pages of the short-lived Transactions of the Gaelic Society, 1808, the fierce allusions and barbaric action of Deirdre are somewhat modified. It is interesting to see the transition to gentler manners, to catch it half-way, as it were.

The passage runs as follows :

" As Naisi was alone abroad, Deirdre threw herself in his way, but as she passed by, uttered not a word.

" ' Gentle is the dame who passeth by,' says he.

" ' It is natural for damsels to be gentle where there are no youths,' she said.

"'The man of the province \i.e. the king] is with you,' said he.

" ' If I were to make a choice between you twain, I should prefer a young man like you,' she answered.